Odd allies seeking changes to Nebraska’s job-licensing rules

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) _ Nebraska’s job-licensing requirements will face renewed scrutiny in next year’s legislative session if a lawmaker and two unlikely allies have their way.

Lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts targeted the state’s occupational licensing rules earlier this year. They ended the 2016 session with a handful of changes, but state Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete is pushing for a more sweeping approach next year.

Ebke will travel to Lincoln, Lexington, Norfolk and Omaha this fall to pitch her idea directly to the public. She’ll be joined by the right-leaning Platte Institute, which advocates for free markets, and the left-leaning American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which wants more job opportunities for ex-prisoners.

Some professions may welcome the changes, but others argue that occupational licensing protects public safety.